United States or Togo ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
There, O lord of earth, the gods with Brahma at their head, the Rishis, the Siddhas, the Charanas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, the Yakshas and the Nagas, often repair, O Bharata, to the highly sacred Brahmakshetra. O foremost of warriors, the sins of one that desireth to repair to Kurukshetra even mentally are all destroyed, and he finally goeth into the region of Brahma.
The incident relates to a liberal Brahmana dwelling in Kurukshetra in the observance of the Unccha vow. In consequence of that incident he attained to Heaven, ye regenerate ones, along with his wife and son and daughter-in-law. And in consequence of what then happened half my body became transformed into gold."
"The very dust of Kurukshetra, borne away by the wind, shall cleanse persons of wicked acts and bear them to heaven!" The foremost ones amongst the gods, as also those amongst the Brahmanas, and many foremost ones among the kings of the Earth such as Nriga and others, having performed costly sacrifices here, after abandoning their bodies, proceeded to heaven.
I have added the chapter headings to aid in comparison with other translations, they are not part of the original Ganguli text. Dhritarashtra said, "Assembled together on the sacred plain of Kurukshetra from desire of fighting what did my sons and the Pandavas do, O Sanjaya." Hear, however, O best of regenerate ones, who are the distinguished ones among us, the leaders of the army.
"'Pulastya said, "One should next proceed, O king, to the adored Kurukshetra at sight of which all creatures are freed from their sins. They that dwell in Kurukshetra which lieth to the south of the Saraswati and the north of the Drishadwati, are said to dwell in heaven. O hero, one should reside there, O thou foremost of warriors, for a month.
And much I fear, that the wood will come to rival even Kurukshetra, with all its heroes lying dead in heaps, except thyself. And Babhru said without a smile: Aranyání, thou art laughing at a thing which, for all that, is very solemn, and very simple: for very sure it is, that whoever would deprive me of thyself must either slay me first, or die himself.
The learned have said that Kurukshetra is holy; that holier than Kurukshetra is the Saraswati; that holier than the Saraswati are all the tirthas together, and that holier than all the tirthas together is Prithudaka. He that engaged in the recitation of prayers casteth off his body at Prithudaka, which is the best of all tirthas, becometh an immortal.
That which lieth between Tarantuka and Arantuka and the lakes of Rama and Machakruka is Kurukshetra. It is also called Samantapanchaka and is said to be the northern sacrificial altar of the Grandsire."" "'Pulastya said, "Then, O great king, one should proceed to the excellent tirtha of Dharma, where the illustrious god of justice had practised highly meritorious austerities.
"I adore thee also, to obtain the ear-rings, O Takshaka, who formerly dwelt in Kurukshetra and the forest of Khandava! Takshaka and Aswasena, ye are constant companions who dwell in Kurukshetra on the banks of the Ikshumati!
O thou of Kuru's race, take with thee, O bull of Bharata's line, thy cars and all other equipments of battle! Hearing these words of Rama that subjugator of hostile towns, I worshipped him with a bend of my head and answered him, saying, 'So be it! Having said all this, Rama then went to Kurukshetra from desire of combat, and I also, entering our city, represented everything unto Satyavati.
Word Of The Day